San Francisco’s Ritz-Carlton dresses up in tailored couture look

The color palette of the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, remodel is composed of steely blues, grays and silvers, and are found both in San Francisco’s sky and fog and in men’s suits.

The color palette of the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, remodel is composed of steely blues, grays and silvers, and are found both in San Francisco’s sky and fog and in men’s suits.

Photo: Terray Sylvester / Terray Sylvester / The Chronicle

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A photograph inspired by the San Francisco Ballet is seen in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, which recently completed a redesign inspired by San Francisco and men's tailoring concepts.

A photograph inspired by the San Francisco Ballet is seen in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, which recently completed a redesign inspired by San Francisco and men's tailoring concepts.

Photo: Terray Sylvester / The Chronicle

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A photograph inspired by the San Francisco Ballet is seen in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

A photograph inspired by the San Francisco Ballet is seen in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

Photo: Terray Sylvester / The Chronicle

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A tweed couch is seen in a room in the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco.

A tweed couch is seen in a room in the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco.

Photo: Terray Sylvester / The Chronicle

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A clock radio sits on a bedside table in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

A clock radio sits on a bedside table in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

Photo: Terray Sylvester / The Chronicle

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A pillow is seen in a room in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

A pillow is seen in a room in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

Photo: Terray Sylvester / The Chronicle

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A lamp shade is seen in a room in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

A lamp shade is seen in a room in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

Photo: Terray Sylvester / The Chronicle

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A drawer pull styled on a belt buckle is seen in a room in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

A drawer pull styled on a belt buckle is seen in a room in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

Photo: Terray Sylvester / The Chronicle

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A room in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, which recently completed a redesign inspired by the colors of San Francisco and men's tailoring trends.

A room in the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, which recently completed a redesign inspired by the colors of San Francisco and men's tailoring trends.

Photo: Terray Sylvester / The Chronicle

San Francisco’s Ritz-Carlton dresses up in tailored couture look

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It’s not every day that an international luxury hotel brand taps a local fashion icon for inspiration, but such is the case with The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, and its multimillion-dollar makeover.

The hotel hired Hirsch Bedner Associates — impressed with the quality of their work in other gateway cities, including Dubai, Beijing and Shenzhen — to interpret the modern sensibility of San Francisco. “We were given the challenge of creating a look that was fresh and spoke to the community while preserving the architectural significance of the hotel’s historic 20th century building,” says HBA partner and principal designer Kathleen Dauber.

“San Francisco has a heritage of well-dressed officials, former Mayor Willie Brown and his sharp suits being the most well-known example,” she says. That, plus the legacy of high-end department stores such as I. Magnin and Wilkes Bashford, and the city’s position on the map as a major luxury retail destination, served as the impetus for the new design, which is rooted in couture fashion and men’s tailoring.

The rooms were stripped down to concrete and studs, and the beige-blush pre-renovation color scheme — which rendered rooms somewhat flat — was replaced with layers of rich textures and a color palette of steely blues, grays and silvers (found both in the city’s sky and fog and in men’s suits). The result is a level of depth and cohesive flow between the hotel’s classic exterior and new modern interior.

On the ballroom level, which is inspired by women’s couture, the elevator opens to an artful fashion photo by Tommy Ton, taken during Paris Fashion Week, and carpeting features a floral overlay reflective of a woman’s evening gown bodice. Etched beveled mirrors, silver-leaf wall coverings and chandeliers with gray-blue gem detailing complete the high-style look.

A series of ethereal black-and-white photographs of dancers highlights the San Francisco Ballet, a strong cultural presence in the city. Specially commissioned photography showcases city landmarks — such as the Palace of Fine Arts, City Hall and the Mechanics’ Institute Library and Chess Room — and were shot specifically for the hotel.

“Hotel occupancies are at an all-time high in San Francisco,” says Jon Ballesteros, senior vice president of public policy at San Francisco Travel. And, with no new luxury hotel developments on the horizon in San Francisco through the end of the year (according to Kevin Carroll, executive director of the Hotel Council of San Francisco), the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, is uniquely timed.

“It’s a prime example of what can be done with an unlimited vision and an equally unlimited budget,” Brown said.